Pssssst. Guess what? We, leaders of volunteers (through no fault of our own, or wait, let’s be real here. We never even asked for this..) possess an enviable set of life skills.

Hmmmm. So I’m thinking, maybe to offset our low wages, we should
develop an immersion self-help class by charging people to come manage
volunteers with us for a week. Like a “boot camp.” I can see the ad now:
“Volunteer Manager Life Lessons Boot Camp-Volunteer Now For a Boot in Your
Psyche.”

What life lessons should we advertise on the pamphlet? You know,
the life skills that people want and we developed (mainly out of survival mode but we won’t mention that) through
managing volunteers. Just how exactly does volunteer management prepare us for
a productive life?

Volunteer management (VM) forces you to
confront the status-quo: You will learn to rely on your own
expertise and your creativity to navigate a job that is more complex than you
could ever have imagined and were never told when you applied (mainly because the person interviewing you
probably didn’t know either).

VM shows you how to live without envy and look
at the world in terms of concepts bigger than your ego: You
will learn to experience personal gratification from others’ successes and take
pride in seeing others soar. You will honestly begin to experience a profound
shift (almost zen-like) in the way
you view the world.

VM teaches patience and persistence: You
will learn that amazing projects take a long, long, long time and an
unbelievable amount of hard work, even though people may want results immediately.
You will learn to see the interconnections that make projects work and develop
an intuitive eye for creating lasting results.

VM teaches you that not everything is as it
appears: You will learn that every circumstance is unique and can
surprise, delight and sometimes disappoint you, but won’t deter you from being
optimistic. You will learn to probe deeply into people’s motivations for the
keys to being prepared.

VM teaches you that people are complex,
amazing creatures: You will learn to love getting to know people, to hear
their stories and to immerse yourself in their life’s ambitions,
disappointments and triumphs, because you realize this is what makes you human.

VM teaches you that being a martyr is a waste
of time: You will learn that as you become more proficient, people
will expect more and more of you. But you will also learn that being a yes
person prevents you from doing your best work.

VM teaches you the necessity of remaining
neutral: You will learn mad mediation skills and be able to resolve
issues in a respectful, productive manner that honors your mission. These skills
will solidify your confidence in becoming a leader who can keep personal
emotions in check for the greater good.

VM teaches you that real passion is
infectious: You will learn how to use your inner enthusiasm to bring
out the best in others. No phony “rah-rah” types here.

VM teaches you efficient critical thinking: You
will learn to analyze situations and resolve problems quickly. Your busy
schedule will force you to become hyper-efficient.

VM
teaches you that you are more: You will quickly
dig deep within and find that you are stronger, better and more capable than
you could ever have imagined. You are more.

And this is just the “Volunteer Manager Life Lessons Boot Camp”
beginner’s class.